Chapter •6•
At Prince Charles Public School
《Donna Jo》Alright class it's story time come to the circle I walk over to my chair at the circle and wait for the kids to come as the kids come to the circle I heard something that I don't tolerate in my class Mackenzie and Isabella bullying, Mackenzie and Isabella what was that?
《Mackenzie and Isabella》Nothing Miss. Harris
《Donna Jo》I look at Josephine and Julie did you girls hear what Mackenzie and Isabella said?
《Josephine and Julie》Yeah we did they said look at the retarded disabled girl in the wheelchair that doesn't have a daddy because her daddy didn't want to deal with a retarded disabled girl in a wheelchair
《Donna Jo》Thank you Josephine and Julie you can sit down now I watch as they sit down beside Jasmine then I look at Mackenzie and Isabella, Mackenzie and Isabella out in the hallway now and I'll be right there I watch as Mackenzie and Isabella walk out to the hallway then I look at the rest of the kids, kids I'll be right back you can play with the toys until I get back OK? They nod and I walk out of the classroom alright Mackenzie and Isabella what you said to Jasmine about her was uncalled for now I'm going to have to call your mother
《Mackenzie and Isabella》No Miss. Harris don't call our mother we'll just say sorry
Back in the classroom
《Josephine and Julie》Jasmine are you OK?
《Jasmine》I just want to go home
《Josephine and Julie》We know and Miss. Harris will call your mommy and also call their mommy
Back out in the hallway
《Donna Jo》Mackenzie and Isabella come with me into the classroom but I want you two to sit at your desks while I call your mother I walk over to my desk to call Mackenzie and Isabella's mother
Phone call (Donna Jo and Mrs. Johnson)
《Stephanie》Hello this is Stephanie Johnson how may I help you today?
《Donna Jo》Um yes this is Donna Jo Harris from Prince Charles Public School and we have a problem with Mackenzie and Isabella they are bullying a student of mine she's in a wheelchair she was born with spina bifida and Mackenzie and Isabella are calling Jasmine some not so nice names and they are picking on her for not having a father
《Stephanie》I'm on my way, just one question
《Donna Jo》Yes what's that?
《Stephanie》Are they suspended?
《Donna Jo》I don't know we'll have to talk to principal Blanchard about that
《Stephanie》I'm on my way
End of call
《Donna Jo》I just got off the phone with Mrs. Johnson about Mackenzie and Isabella and she's on her way I was just sitting at my desk when Josephine and Julie came up to me, hi girls I'm sorry there will be no story time today I have to wait for Mackenzie and Isabella's mommy to get here
《Josephine and Julie》It's OK but Jasmine wants to go home
《Donna Jo》OK I'll call her grandmother
Phone call (Liz and Donna Jo Harris)
《Liz》Hello?
《Donna Jo》Um yes this is Donna Jo Harris from Prince Charles Public School I'm calling because there was an incident at school today
《Liz》Incident what incident is Jasmine OK?
《Donna Jo》Yes but there was this incident where two students in my class were calling her a disabled retard and started on Jasmine because Jasmine don't have a daddy and now I just heard that she wants to go home
《Liz》I'm on my way right now
End of call
《Liz》I get up and get my jacket and shoes and purse Mark I'll be right back I have to go to Jasmine's school there was an incident with Jasmine and two other girls and I have to go pick her up
Mark》OK but is Jasmine OK?
《Liz》Yes but she wants to come home
With Stephanie
《Stephanie》I just got to the school and I walk to the classroom when I get there I see my daughters sitting at their desks while the other kids are playing I walk over to the girls come on girls let's go home Mackenzie and Isabella stood up and we were about to walk out the door until Miss. Harris stopped us and she said
《Donna Jo》Can you wait Jasmine's grandmother should be here soon just after I said that the door opened and in walked Liz Jasmine's grandmother
《Liz》Hi sorry I'm late I'll just be getting Jasmine and head home for the day come on Jasmine
《Donna Jo》Actually I'd like you both to stay so we can talk about this, now Jasmine is this the first time that Mackenzie and Isabella said those mean things to you?
《Jasmine》No they have said them before
《Donna Jo》When sweetheart can you tell us when?
《Jasmine》Last week when we were outside at recess
《Donna Jo》Any other times?
《Jasmine》Um at lunchtime last week
《Donna Jo》Is that it?
《Jasmine》Yeah, I look at Miss. Harris can I go home now?
《Donna Jo》Yeah sweetheart you can go home, and I'm sorry that you were being bullied just remember that if they ever bully again you can always tell me or any teacher OK?
《Jasmine》I will, bye, I look at Josephine and Julie bye Josephine bye Julie
《Josephine and Julie》Bye Jasmine
《Liz》Come on baby let's get you in the car I put her in the back of the car and then I take her wheelchair over to the trunk of the car and take the book bag off the back of fur chair put it over my shoulder then fold her chair and put it in the trunk close the trunk take her book bag and give it to her then make sure she's securely strapped in then close her door then I get in my car and drive back to my house
《Jasmine》Grandma?
《Liz》Yes baby?
《Jasmine》Are you going to tell mommy what happen?
《Liz》Yes I have to honey
Back at the school
《Donna Jo》Well now that I know that your daughters have been bullying Jasmine for quite some time now, I'm going to call the principal and have him come down here to the classroom so we can talk about what your daughters have been doing, I pick up the phone again and call him
Phone call (Shane and Donna Jo)
《Shane》Donna Jo what can I do for you?
《Donna Jo》We have a situation with bullying going on in my classroom and I need you to come down to my classroom and talk with Mackenzie and Isabella and their mother I think Mackenzie and Isabella should be suspended but I'll let you make that call
《Shane》I'm on my way
End of call
《Shane》I just got off the phone with Donna Jo Harris she wants me to come down to her classroom because she's been having some problems with bullying I walk down the hallway until I get to Donna Jo's classroom when I get there I walk right in, so Donna Jo what seems to be the problem?
《Donna Jo》Well principal Blanchard, Mackenzie and Isabella have been bullying Jasmine saying things like look at the retarded disabled girl in the wheelchair that doesn't have a daddy because her daddy didn't want to deal with a retarded disabled girl in a wheelchair
《Shane》I look at Mackenzie and Isabella girls is that true did you say that?
《Mackenzie and Isabella》We look at the adults in the room um yeah yeah we said that
《Stephanie》Mackenzie and Isabella why would you say that?
《Mackenzie and Isabella》We don't know we're sorry
《Shane》Mackenzie and Isabella do you know how much bullying hurts somebody? They nod and look down and what you said to Jasmine was uncalled for you don't know how hard she has it in her life watching all the other kids run and play on the playset at the park or out at recess and you don't know how hard her mother has it raising her without Jasmine's father
《Mackenzie and Isabella》Your only saying this stuff because your Jasmine's uncle, but if it was any other kid being bullied you wouldn't be saying all this stuff to us, and just because Jasmine is your niece means you're playing favoritism
《Shane》I'm not saying the stuff because Jasmine is my niece and I'm not playing favoritism I'm saying this stuff because bullying is wrong, you two are suspended for two weeks
《Mackenzie and Isabella》What no you can't do that
《Shane》It's either you two being suspended for two weeks or being expelled and having to be transferred to a new school
《Stephanie》Principal Blanchard you can't suspend or expelle Mackenzie and Isabella do you know who your talking to my husband and I have given this school $100,000,000 a month
《Shane》Mrs. Johnson although you have been given this school $100,000,000 a months this school don't tolerate bullying so I'm sorry to say that Mackenzie and Isabella are suspended for two weeks and if you choose to have Mackenzie and Isabella return to the school after the two weeks is up then we would be more than willing to have them back, but I think this two-week suspension will hopefully open their eyes to realizing that bullying is wrong
《Stephanie》I look at Mackenzie and Isabella girls come on let's go home, they don't say anything all they do is get up and follow me out of the classroom and out of the school to the car where we get in and head home